October 1967, found some large paperback books coverless in a box on sale for 10 cents apiece. Being a poor farm boy I was always on the look for a good deal on books. Found FOTR which had some nice maps in it. Loved maps. But it said it was part of a trilogy. No way I was going to read just a third of a story, so I looked for the other two. Found TTT, but not the third. I was about to give up and put them back when I noticed a smaller volume with a similar back cover. That one turned out to be ROTK So I took a chance and blew thirty some odd cents. Good investment.